Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-25
HIGH PRICE FOB LAND,
WHAT THE SANTA FE PAID FOR AN EN-
TRANCE INTO CHICAGO.

WHAT THE SANTA FE PAID FOR AN EN-
TRANCE INTO CHICAGO.
The AtchisoG, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railroad, says the Chicago Herald, has
spent a larger sum of money for it's en-
trance to Chicago than any railroad ever
spent before. And the end Is not yet.
The trouble with the Santa Fe is that
b2ck property was not good enough for
it-nothipg but gilt-edged lots fronting
on one Of the greatest thoroughfares in
the city or world would Go. So the Santa
Fe bought acre af'er acre along
the west side OF State street betWeep
Sixteenth and Polk, paying therefor ST.,
100000. Yesterday another snug sum
was charged 10 against it when the con-
domination suit Of the AtchisOn road to
secure title and possession of the proper
~ of Mary j. and john Guerin was de-
cided. The defendants have owned Ger
tain property for good msny years, but
the railroad company set its covetOus
eyes upon the land and il had to go. The
case has been on trial before Judge
PreDdergaet and 8 jury for week Or so,
and the jury finally decided to allow
S137, I30 for the property. The verdict
wss divided as follows: For the
two lots on State street at the
northwest corner Of Twelfth, $50, 600,
being q valuation of $1,000 per front
foot for the land alone; for the lot imme-
diately north OF this strip, $23, $50; or IS
the rate Of $1,000 front foot; for two
lots in the rear OF the first mentioned
strip, having forty-eight feet frontage on
Twelfth street, $4,000, or $500 foot;
$1,000 for improvements and $3.50 for
architects plans for buildings, which
were TO have been erected on the prop
ertY. To ell acquainted with the valua-
tons OF real estate the verdict was re-
garded IS large one. TWO thousand
dollars front foot must be regarded as
j big price for land ct State and Twelfth
streets, and particularly as the lots are
not deep ones. The old three
story brick building at the
northwest corner Of State and
landmarks OF the city. 1t was built over
forty yesrs ago. The other buildings
were also very old, those fronting on
Twelfth street being really nothing but
shells of novels. They were al to be torn
down soon TO make way for new ones, and
the condemnation value, $4,000, is regard
Cd as UlSQ one. 1QG EalItU6u COmpnuS
made q motion for new trial, and its
officers are beginning to resllzs that in
their bold efforts TO cspture valuable bus
mess property in the heart of this great
city for the occupancy of their squatty |
little freight houses, they may have struck |
! large sized snsg.
There is no denying that the Santa Fe
IS slready the most unpopular railway in
Chicago, and it hasn't begun business
either. The chances are that before it
gets through with condemnation salts
md Chicago iuries it will wish it had |
been content with a more modest location
or its freight houses. The Santa Fe
scheme half ruins, for business purposes,
! considerable portion OF State street. If
Tou want to fnd mad property owners |
interview gentlemen on the east side of
State near Twelfth. Nor is this all. The
Iudacity OF these SantaFe folks threstens
lot only State street and the South Side,
Tut the West Side and the interest and
of the whole city.